Insurtech Eye — Insurance Technology News

OpenDialog AI and P J Hayman Partner to Redefine Digital Travel Insurance Journeys

By Lauren Towner · 28 September 2025

OpenDialog AI partners with P J Hayman to deploy Selma, its AI-powered sales agent, on the Free Spirit travel insurance brand, with Nikki Sparkes and Tom Blain highlighting personalised, compliant, and accessible cover for travellers with medical conditions.|
OpenDialog AI today announced a new partnership with P J Hayman, the specialist provider of niche and travel insurance schemes, to revolutionise how people buy and engage with travel insurance online. The collaboration will see Selma - OpenDialog’s AI-powered Sales Agent - deployed first on P J Hayman’s Free Spirit brand, which provides travel insurance for people with medical conditions and disabilities. Other P J Hayman brands will be enhanced through a phased deployment.  Travel insurance is one of the most complex types of cover for consumers to purchase online. Questions about medical conditions, cover limits, destinations, and trip types often create friction and uncertainty. As a result, many travellers abandon their journey before completing a policy. Selma changes this dynamic. She engages naturally with customers, provides instant clarification, and ensures every step of the quote-to-buy process is straightforward, personalised, and compliant.  For P J Hayman, the benefits include higher online conversion rates, reduced call centre demand, and a more efficient digital journey. For customers, it means the reassurance that their travel insurance is easy to understand, simple to purchase, and tailored to their individual circumstances - even when those circumstances are complex.  What Selma brings to travel insurance: 
  • Personalised guidance for customers with medical conditions and special requirements. ● Instant responses to detailed travel policy queries - from trip duration to cover levels and more. 
  • 24/7 support to give travellers confidence whenever they buy. 
  • Seamless compliance, ensuring accuracy and transparency throughout. ● A smoother, more accessible experience across complex travel products. 
Nikki Sparkes, COO at P J Hayman, said: ‘At P J Hayman we have always been dedicated to providing specialist insurance solutions for those who are often underserved in the mainstream market. Working with OpenDialog and introducing Selma to our Free Spirit brand enables us to bring this commitment online - helping customers navigate the often complicated world of travel insurance with clarity and confidence. This step forward will allow us to continue innovating and expanding the accessibility of our products, with Selma becoming the cornerstone of growth at the heart of our digital strategy and future development.’  Tom Blain, SVP EMEA at OpenDialog AI, added: ‘Travel insurance presents a unique challenge for digital journeys - with complex questions, regulatory requirements, and customers who need reassurance at every step. Selma is built for exactly these scenarios. By partnering with P J Hayman, we are showing how AI Agents can make buying travel insurance more intuitive, supportive, and ultimately safer for every traveller.’ This first deployment on Free Spirit marks the beginning of a wider transformation for P J Hayman’s brands. Together, P J Hayman and OpenDialog are setting a new benchmark for digital travel insurance - one that combines personalisation, compliance, and simplicity to meet the needs of modern travellers. 

Companies in this story: P J Hayman, OpenDialog AI

People in this story: Nikki Sparkes, Tom Blain

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